


The accident

by Blackghost7



Category: NCIS
Genre: First Time, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-12
Updated: 2015-02-12
Packaged: 2018-03-12 02:24:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3340094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackghost7/pseuds/Blackghost7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Tony doesn’t show up for work one day, it’s the start of things changing drastically between Tony and Gibbs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The accident

   
Tony’s been walking for hours now, trying to sort out his thoughts, replaying the moment in his mind and trying to figure out exactly what it meant. It still feels surreal to him, and he can’t quite figure out where the thought came from. I love him.  
   
The thought had come out of nowhere. There was no special reason for it, nothing extraordinary that preceded it. It was a normal Thursday afternoon and they had been working in the bullpen, and he had looked up and across at Gibbs sitting at his desk, a small smile playing on his face, and there it was, the thought that spun his world out of control. I love him.  
   
He had stared transfixed for a few moments when the thought registered, taking in the silver hair and the blue eyes behind the reading glasses perched on Gibbs’ nose, the straight posture and the muscular chest covered in t-shirt, polo and sports coat, the stern lips pinched in concentration as the older man focused on his computer monitor. He had always found Gibbs attractive, but now there was this thought that just popped into his head. I love him.  
   
He ducked his head down and breathed deeply a few times, trying to ease the sudden panic that constricted his chest, hiding the blush that crept up his face and neck. It took him a few minutes to calm down again, and when he had himself under control at last, he chanced another glance at his boss. Gibbs was staring straight at him, a questioning look on his face, and Tony ducked his head back down immediately. Oh God. I love him.  
   
Tony bumbled and stumbled through the remainder of the afternoon and fled the bullpen as soon as Gibbs released them for the day. He drove home and dropped down on his couch, closing his eyes and covering his face with his hands, trying to block the thought from his mind, but failing miserably. I love him.  
   
He felt panic creeping up on him again, and knew he needed to move. Getting up and stalking over to his bedroom, he changed out of his suit and into comfortable jeans and a shirt, pulling on his sneakers and grabbing his coat and keys. He needed to let out this nervous energy that was thrumming through his body, and process this thought that had thrown him. I love him.  
   
He walked for hours, deliberately tiring his body, while his mind kept whirling with the thought. Finally getting back home around midnight, he took a long hot shower and went to bed. He lay there blinking up at his ceiling for a while before he finally fell asleep, his last conscious thought before he slipped away the one that had been running through his mind the entire time. I love him.  
   
*****  
   
Gibbs’ sniper senses told him that he was being watched, and he looked up to find the source of the eyes on him. When he raised his eyes, he just caught the downward movement of Tony’s head and saw the blush creeping up the younger man’s face. Surprised and intrigued, he studied Tony carefully for a few moments, and contemplated what could have happened, what could be going through Tony’s mind that made him hide and blush. He watched Tony breathe deeply a few times, saw the nervousness take over his body, and he became more and more curious. When Tony looked up at him again, Gibbs shot him a questioning look, asking what was going on without voicing it. Tony ducked his head down immediately again when Gibbs caught his gaze, and Gibbs was even more intrigued by what he had seen in Tony’s eyes. He never thought that he would see that look on the younger man’s face directed at him. And he had seen that look on Tony’s face often enough over the years, directed at others, to know what it meant. Tony wanted him.  
   
Gibbs took a deep breath and steadied himself. It had been unexpected to see that look on Tony’s face aimed at him, but not unwelcome. He felt a tiny spark of hope flare up in his chest. He had been hiding his feelings for Tony for so long now, that it felt almost impossible to think that anything could ever come of it. But he was sure he had not misinterpreted that look.  
   
He studied Tony surreptitiously for the rest of the afternoon, and noticed the loss of concentration in the younger man, saw that his thoughts were elsewhere. Letting it slide, he released the team at the end of their shift and watched Tony almost flee the office. He worried what it could mean, but couldn’t stop himself from feeling a little hopeful nevertheless. When he finally went home himself, he hoped that Tony would show up in his basement that evening, but wasn’t too surprised when he didn’t. It was deep into the night when he at last dragged himself to the couch and fell into a dreamless sleep.  
   
*****  
   
Tony woke up tired and confused the following morning, and worried about the day ahead. The few hours of sleep had not settled him, and he was uneasy at the thought that he would have to spend the entire day in Gibbs’ company with this new realization running through his mind again the whole time. Forcing himself to get up, he quickly showered and dressed and made his way to the office.  
   
He was almost grateful that Gibbs wasn’t at his desk when Tony arrived in the bullpen, and when Ziva told him that Gibbs was up in MTAC and expected to spend most of the day there, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He got through the day relatively easy without Gibbs there as a constant reminder of yesterday’s insight, but when Gibbs came down about an hour before quitting time and Tony caught another questioning look Gibbs threw at him, the nerves returned with a vengeance. His concentration shot, he spent the rest of the afternoon trying to sort through his thoughts again, glad that they weren’t working a hot case at the moment. Not getting anywhere, still restless and his thoughts disordered, he changed his clothes as soon as he came home and set out for another walk.  
   
*****  
   
Gibbs was surprised when Tony didn’t show up at his usual time in the morning, and even more so when he didn’t report in. He was angry when he called him about an hour later and went straight to voicemail, getting no answer on his landline either. He was furious when they got called out on a case another half hour later and there was no sign or word from Tony. He left a curt message on his voicemail, and took the other two to the scene. Returning three hours later and still nothing from Tony, Gibbs was worried. Gibbs had called him regularly, McGee had sent messages, but there was nothing from Tony. Drumming his fingers on his desk, Gibbs put aside the case for a moment and asked McGee to trace Tony’s phone. It only took McGee a few moments to discover that the phone was switched off and couldn’t be traced, worry clear in his voice as well.  
   
“Find him!”  
   
*****  
   
Tony groaned even before he tried to open his eyes, and groaned even louder when he succeeded in prying them open a little. His head was pounding and his throat was dry, and he felt like he’d been run over by a truck. Bringing up his arm to shield his eyes from the light trying to explode his skull, he felt a sharp pain shoot through his shoulder. Damn it, what did he do last night? What time was it? Judging by the light, it was well into morning. Gibbs was going to be so pissed at him…  
   
The sounds in his ears were the first thing that alerted him to something being terribly wrong. These were not sounds he normally heard in his apartment. These were not sounds he normally heard inside. Cars were passing him a couple of yards away. Then he noticed the smell. It was awful. He’d been in enough garbage dumpsters in his time at NCIS to recognize the wafting reek of refuse. Wetting his lips, he tried to swallow and tasted the metallic flavor of blood. He tried to think back to last night. In a flash, it came back to him. He was out walking, trying to sort through his thoughts. Then the flare of headlights came up to him from behind. Expecting them to pass, he didn’t pay much attention to them. Then his legs were swept out from under him and something hit his head. Dizzy and in pain, he remembered lying there, trying to get up and failing. Then he heard frantic voices and felt hands on his body. He was being carried, and then lifted and dropped.  
   
Putting the pieces together, he realized what must have happened. He’d been hit from behind by a car. Instead of calling for help, the occupants of the car must have freaked and dragged him into an alley and put him in a dumpster. This was laughable, if it wasn’t so damn sad. Opening his eyes again, resisting the urge to shut them against the pain of the sunlight, he took in his surroundings. Yep, he was in a dumpster. Cataloguing his body, he felt pain pretty much everywhere, some places worse than others, but aching all over. Reaching for his belt in search of his phone, he quickly noted that he shouldn’t move his right arm any more than he had to, his shoulder definitely wasn’t up to it. Using his left hand instead, he tried to find his phone, not finding it in its usual place. Patting his hand over the trash he was lying on, his fingers finally touched something that felt like the phone. Bringing it up to his face, he groaned in disappointment and desperation. It was broken, smashed and unusable. Time to pull himself together and get out of here.  
   
It took him long minutes and much grinding of his teeth to work himself up to a sitting position, exhausted and sweating by the time he finally did. Assessing himself, he saw more blood on his clothes than he was comfortable with, and was feeling lightheaded, that combined with the splitting headache telling him he probably had a head injury. Great, another concussion. He took stock of his belongings, oddly grateful that at least his wallet and keys were still there, apparently his assailants may have been callous enough to leave him in a dumpster, but hadn’t felt right robbing him as well. He waited a few minutes to calm himself before attempting to crawl out of the container. It was only when he tried to stand and blinding pain shot through his right leg, that he realized he was in even more trouble than he’d already thought. Sinking down again and panting hard to try and breathe through the pain, he shrugged up the right leg of his jeans to check the damage. The telltale knick in the flesh of his calf told him he had a broken fibula. That must have been where the car had hit him first.  
   
It took him more than half an hour to drag himself out of the dumpster and to the street, thankful when the alley opened right next to an open shop. Only a minute or two after he had reached the curb, a woman exited the shop and gasped in horror when she saw the state of him. Immediately offering to call 911 and frantically asking him if he was okay, Tony took a huge effort and spent a lot of energy convincing her that he just needed to use her phone. Clearly disapproving but unable to oppose his adamant reasoning any longer seeing his pain, she handed it to him. He dialed the number by heart.  
   
“Yeah. Gibbs.”  
   
“Boss…”  
   
*****  
   
McGee and Ziva had never seen Gibbs so agitated and nervous, racing through traffic at almost twice his usual breakneck speed, continuing to talk to Tony. Thankfully the location Tony had managed to give him was only a couple of minutes away from the Yard, and it was only that which had stopped him from calling an ambulance at once. Tony had said he wasn't in any immediate danger, and they both knew that if they were to have any luck finding these bastards who had dumped Tony in the trash after hitting him, all evidence must be preserved meticulously. Ducky and Palmer were hot on their heels, for once not bothering with maps and navigation, Ducky proving that he could drive as recklessly as Gibbs when it counted. When they reached the alley and saw Tony lying there, they collectively sucked in a breath.   
   
Gibbs reached him first, not bothering to turn off the engine or close the door of the car, simply jumping out and rushing over. The woman whose phone Tony had borrowed was still standing there, a small crowd gathered around them now, surprised when it was not an ambulance that came racing up the street but a team of fully decked out federal agents and a medical examiner's van. As soon as Gibbs reached Tony, he knelt down beside him and spoke to him urgently.  
   
"Tony? Tony!"  
   
Tony didn't seem to register that Gibbs was beside him, and answered into the phone he still managed to keep pressed to his ear.  
   
"Still here, Boss, waiting for you."  
   
"I'm here, Tony, I'm here."  
   
At last Tony looked up, squinting his eyes against the painful light and his throbbing skull.  
   
"Oh hey, Gibbs. What are you doing here?"  
   
Gibbs kept talking to an increasingly confused Tony, while the others set to work, taking pictures and sketches, collecting evidence and following the trail of Tony's blood back to the dumpster he'd woken up in. Ducky checked Tony's injuries, receiving a death glare from Gibbs when a jostle of Tony's leg caused the man to moan in pain, and signaled Palmer to call an ambulance.   
   
"Duck?"  
   
"He's in no immediate danger from what I can tell, Jethro, but he is grievously wounded. He has broken bones, sprains and bruises, and yet another concussion under that head wound that is in dire need of being cleaned up and stitched. He is very lucky that he does not seem to have any internal bleeding from what I can tell, but he will need to be scanned and observed carefully, if this happened last night, which the bruising would corroborate, it may be that some internal bleeding has clotted and could be restarted if he is moved too vigorously."  
   
During Ducky's assessment and explanation, Tony had been staring up at Gibbs with a goofy smile on his face, an almost terrifying sight with his face and hair covered in blood as it was, and he had reached for Gibbs' hand with his own good one, grabbing hold of Gibbs' fingers and refusing to let go. When Gibbs turned back to him after Ducky's words, Tony's scary smile widened and he spoke on a deep exhale, then closed his eyes and lost consciousness.  
   
"I love you, Gibbs."  
   
*****  
   
By the time the ambulance arrived a few minutes later, McGee had finished carefully collecting all the evidence from Tony's clothes and body he could get to right now, and Gibbs was satisfied that the paramedics could take care of Tony and take him away. They'd get his clothes to Abby later for further analysis, but they knew they had most of the evidence already safely packed away, uncontaminated by the touch of the paramedics. Even in unconsciousness, Tony wouldn't let go of Gibbs' fingers, not that the older man had ever contemplated not going with him. It was a struggle when they arrived in the hospital to actually let Tony go, and the seemingly endless hours waiting while Tony was taken care of and scanned were pure hell. When at last he was given permission to join Tony in the ICU, obtained only by flashing his badge and intimidating the nurses and doctors who tried to stop him with the patented Gibbs death glare, Gibbs heart clenched when he saw how pale and almost fragile the younger man looked. Some doctor informed Gibbs of the injuries that Tony had sustained and what they had done to treat them, but Gibbs was lost staring at Tony's face, knowing that Ducky would get the necessary information from the doctors later. Gibbs brushed his hand gently through the hair on the undamaged part of Tony's skull, pressed his lips to Tony's temple, drew up a chair and settled in for another long wait, his fingers never leaving Tony's.  
   
That's how Ducky found him an hour or two later, Gibbs' eyes glued to Tony's face, fingers interlaced with Tony's and the fingers of his other hand brushing continuously but softly through Tony's hair. Watching his old friend from the doorway for a few minutes, not surprised that Gibbs did not even notice his presence, Ducky then turned to find the doctor who could inform him of Tony's condition.   
   
*****  
   
Tony floated to the surface of the water he'd been submerged in, at least, that's how it felt to him, and smiled at the pleasant feelings of a hand stroking through his hair and the haze of what he on some level recognized as top notch narcotics. Only slowly did the beeps and murmurs of monitors register in his hearing and he was lucid enough to deduce that he must be in a hospital. A tiny shudder ran through his body when he recalled what had happened - the walk, the car, the pain - but he shrugged it off quickly, knowing that for now he was in the safe hands of high grade painkillers. Feeling fortified by that, he braved opening his eyes.  
   
"Hey, Tony."  
   
The beloved silver hair and blue eyes were close to him, and the familiar voice, usually gruff and demanding, sounded soft and caring to his ears. He cleared his throat, pleased to find it wasn't difficult to speak, because he had so much to say.  
   
"Jethro! You're here! Good, because I need to tell you something…"  
   
Tony would never remember what he said under the influence of the pain meds that always made him a little loopy, but he did remember the indulgent smile on Gibbs' face as he rambled on for long minutes about fish swimming in the sky, pizza made from paper planes, putting detergent in tooth paste, and how much he loved Gibbs.  
   
The rambling was cut off when Ducky cleared his throat to get both men's attention. Even though Tony would need to be told again, not able to absorb such information in his present state, Ducky explained to both that Tony had been very lucky indeed considering the circumstances. The broken fibula, the concussion and head wound, and the hairline fractures in his right shoulder were the worst of his injuries, no internal bleeding, the rest mostly scrapes and bruises, looking worse than they really were. A day or two spent at the hospital was all that was needed, and then home to recuperate with someone who would look after him. Ducky gave Gibbs a knowing smile, which made Gibbs sigh.  
   
*****  
   
Two days later a much more lucid Tony and a much scruffier Gibbs were eagerly awaiting the doctor with Tony's release forms. Tony was no longer rambling, the painkillers having been reduced to the kind he could handle better, but didn't dull the ache as well the good stuff had. Gibbs was desperate for real coffee and a shave, not having wanted to leave Tony's side long enough for getting either. Tony hadn't mentioned anything about Gibbs staying with him every minute of his being confined to a hospital bed, quietly grateful just for the company. Gibbs didn't say anything about his reasons for staying, for not leaving Tony's side for more than a few minutes, even when the others came to visit. And neither mentioned anything about their interlaced fingers or Gibbs softly stroking his hair when he thought Tony was asleep.  
   
Finally done with the paperwork, Gibbs took Tony downstairs and gently settled him in the car, then drove him over to Gibbs' place. Helping Tony inside the house, both men had to suppress a groan when their well-meaning team members and friends were gathered in the living room, obviously eager to help with anything Tony needed. The fridge was stuffed with fresh food and drink, Tony's laptop and a stack of DVDs were laid out on the coffee table, and a duffel full of fresh comfortable clothes from Tony's apartment stood at the foot of the stairs, ready to be taken upstairs. Ducky gave Gibbs a sympathetic look, but shrugged his shoulders. Gibbs understood. Ducky had tried to stop them, but his team was irrepressible.  
   
Gibbs helped Tony over to the sofa and settled him on it, then turned to get their stuff from the car only to find McGee and Palmer had already brought it in. Turning towards the kitchen to get a drink, he found Ziva coming from there with beers in hand, handing one to Gibbs and one to Tony, saying that one celebratory drink for his release from hospital surely would be okay. Turning towards the basement to flee this invasion into his home, Gibbs was stopped by Abby's pleading eyes. With a sigh, Gibbs carefully lowered himself onto the couch next to Tony, and the two men threw each other a rueful glance, then clinked their beers together and sat back.  
   
The team filled them in on the progress they had made with looking for the car that had hit Tony, certain they would catch the bastards any moment now, and on the other case that had been taken over by Balboa's team after what happened to Tony, and asked Tony how he was feeling. Gibbs and Tony lasted about forty minutes, then Tony simply closed his eyes and Gibbs threw Ducky a pleading look. Gentle but determined, Ducky asserted his authority and ordered the team out of the house, leaving the two of them in peace at last.   
   
Tony opened his eyes when he felt Gibbs get up and gave him a questioning glance. Gibbs just softly stroked his fingers through Tony's hair, grabbed two more beers from the kitchen and settled back down. Tony smiled a little and they drank in silence. Beer finished, Tony yawned. Spending two days in a hospital bed can really be exhausting. Gibbs smirked and helped him off the sofa and up the stairs, guiding him to the bathroom, giving him the time and space to do what was needed while Gibbs brought up Tony's duffel, laptop and DVDs. After a few more minutes, he knocked on the bathroom door.  
   
"You okay, Tony?"  
   
"Yeah, come in."  
   
Gibbs opened the door to find Tony leaning against the sink on his good leg, studying himself in the mirror, muttering at the bruising visible on his face and naked torso. A damp washcloth over the edge of the sink and a few lingering suds in the basin told Gibbs Tony had cleaned himself up a little, but his chest and back were dry and there were still some traces of dried blood surrounding wound on his head.   
   
"You need any help?"  
   
Tony looked almost a little embarrassed.   
   
"Yeah. I washed up, but with one hand I can't really reach my back and sides. Would you…"  
   
"Of course. Sit down."  
   
While Tony carefully sat down on the closed lid of the toilet, Gibbs rinsed the washcloth and soaped it up, then methodically ran it over Tony's back and sides and arms, rinsing again and washing him clean. Looking at the blood still in Tony's hair, Gibbs asked.  
   
"You want me to try to clean that stuff out of your hair?"  
   
"Please. It itches like crazy."  
   
So Gibbs carefully rubbed the damp cloth through Tony's hair until most of the dried blood was gone, then patted it dry. Tony yawned again, and Gibbs helped him up and back to the bedroom, where he had pulled back the duvet so he could settle Tony on the mattress. Picking up the duffle, Gibbs found a t-shirt and shorts, holding them up for Tony's approval, getting a nod in return. He helped him into his t-shirt, difficult due to his injured shoulder, then left the shorts lying next to him as he walked towards the bathroom.  
   
"Will you manage while I take a quick shower?"  
   
"Sure."  
   
A few seconds of silence.  
   
"Boss? Where are you gonna sleep?"  
   
"Right next to you. I still gotta wake you up in a couple of hours to see if you know what year it is, remember? And I don't wanna have to come upstairs for it."  
   
Tony gave a tiny smile.  
   
"Okay, Boss."  
   
Gibbs took a quick shower and shaved, feeling a little more himself already, but tired from the long days with only short naps in an uncomfortable hospital chair. Returning to the bedroom, he saw Tony had managed to get out of his sweats and into his shorts, and was lying on his back, eyes closed, but not yet asleep. Walking to the other side of the bed, Gibbs lay down and pulled the duvet over them both, then closed his eyes as well.   
   
"Thanks, Boss."  
   
"Always, Tony."  
   
They were asleep within seconds.  
   
*****  
   
With only brief disruptions when Gibbs woke Tony up to ask him who the president was and how many concussions Tony had had over the years - and thank heavens this was the last night Tony needed to be checked - both men slept from early evening to late morning and felt much better for it. Tony was only a little surprised to find Gibbs still there, most people would have thought that Gibbs would return to the office as soon as he could, but after the days in the hospital, Tony had suspected that Gibbs would stay with him at home too. Though that did worry him. Even when he had been dying with the plague, Gibbs had only made short visits, and granted, he was working the case at the time trying to find Tony's would be killer, but didn't the same apply now too? It made him worry what had changed in between then and now, worry that he had said something. He knew his inhibitions flew out the window when he was on the good painkillers, and thoughts of Gibbs had been playing on his mind at the time. Plus there was the hair-stroking and the hand-holding, and the smile he remembered from when he woke up at the hospital. That was definitely new.   
   
Gibbs helped him to the bathroom again and, after changing his clothes, to the kitchen where Gibbs made him breakfast. Tony was grateful but apprehensive, and it made him more quiet than Gibbs had ever seen him. Breakfast done, they lingered at the table with a fresh cup of coffee - finally the good stuff - and Gibbs eyed Tony carefully before speaking.  
   
"What were you doing there, Tony?"  
   
"Just out walking."  
   
"Long way from your apartment."  
   
"Lots to think about."  
   
"Such as?"  
   
At last Tony looked up. He searched Gibbs' eyes for long moments, then took a deep breath.  
   
"Gibbs? Did I say something to you while I was on those meds?"  
   
Gibbs smiled.  
   
"A lot. Something about flying fish and paper pizza, if I recall."  
   
"Anything else?"  
   
"How to get your teeth more white?"  
   
"Something of a different nature?"  
   
Gibbs sighed. He hadn't wanted to do this, not like this, but it was obvious Tony knew something was up.  
   
"You said… You said you loved me."  
   
Tony groaned and carefully - mindful of his injured head - dropped his forehead to the table.  
   
"In all fairness," Gibbs continued softly, "you said that before you were on the drugs too."  
   
That made Tony look up again, a small wince at the sudden movement of his head.  
   
"When we arrived and found you. It was the last thing you said before you passed out."  
   
Another embarrassed groan.  
   
"They all heard?"  
   
"Just me and Ducky."  
   
They sat in silence for a while after that, sipping their coffee and Gibbs getting them another refill. Tony kept staring down at his hands.   
   
"Something you wanna tell me, Tony?"  
   
"Not really."  
   
"Well, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. Duck's good at keeping secrets. He's kept one of mine for ages now."  
   
That at last made Tony glance up again.  
   
"Yeah?"  
   
Smiling at the obvious curiosity on Tony's face, Gibbs shook his head. He wasn't going to tell. Not yet.  
   
"This have something to do with your behavior at the office those last two days?"  
   
"My behavior?"  
   
"Absent, distracted, nervous, anxious."  
   
"That obvious?"  
   
"I know you, Tony. And I've seen that look before. Just never directed at me."  
   
Tony sighed deeply now.  
   
"I should know by now it's no use trying to hide anything from you, Gibbs. But this was… I wasn't ready for this yet."  
   
Gibbs looked at him for long moments, then got up and put their empty cups in the sink. Standing beside Tony, he gently placed the palm of his hand against the back of Tony's head and leaned down to press a soft kiss to his temple.   
   
"I know. It's okay. Want me to help you to the couch? Then I'll get you your laptop."  
   
And just like that the tense atmosphere evaporated. Once Tony was settled on the couch, a wide choice of movies close at hand, Gibbs disappeared into the basement until early afternoon, coming up every now and then to see if Tony needed anything, helping him to the bathroom and supplying him with drinks. Later that afternoon, he even sat with Tony through one of the movies, though Tony could tell Gibbs wasn't really focused on it. But truth be told, neither was Tony, because a few minutes after the movie started playing, Gibbs’ hand found its way into Tony's hair again, and that was far more pleasurable to focus on.  
   
*****  
   
It was the next morning that McGee called Gibbs to let him know that they had caught the two guys who had run Tony over, and asked if Gibbs would want to be the one to interrogate them. For a moment Gibbs hesitated, but then his common sense overrode his instincts and he knew it would be better if he didn't. Telling McGee he had faith in him and to make it ironclad, he hung up and told Tony. Tony's eyes clouded for a moment, then his expression cleared again and all he said was: "Good."  
   
That afternoon had them taking a trip back to the hospital where Tony had a check-up and was finally fitted with a walking cast, making his life so much easier, but making the need for physical contact with Gibbs less. Both secretly deplored that. When they were back at Gibbs' place and Tony had tested his cast finding he could move around by himself again without problems, Tony quietly offered to go home.  
   
"I can get around now. No need for me to be bothering you anymore."  
   
"You're not bothering me."  
   
"Surely you must want your bathroom and your bed back to yourself."  
   
"You're not bothering me there either."  
   
"Gibbs?"  
   
"Do you wanna leave, Tony?"  
   
They stared at each other for a while. Then Tony softly replied.  
   
"No."  
   
"Wanna put on another movie that you think I absolutely should see?"  
   
And Tony smiled, settled on the couch next to Gibbs, and started up a movie that he knew was a good one, but he didn't really see any of it. Because as soon as it started playing, Gibbs began running his hand through Tony's hair and Tony's eyes slid closed while he almost purred like a kitten in delight for as long as Gibbs touched him.  
   
   
That evening, protective plastic wrapped around his walking cast, was the first time Tony got to take a shower and wash his hair since the accident. He had to be quick, both to ensure his head wound didn't open again and because his right shoulder was still very painful whenever he tried to move his arm, but the feeling of clean hair and a thoroughly soaped body was luxurious. His skin was rosy from the heat of the water and thrummed with feeling clean. Putting on his sleeping shorts in the bathroom, he stepped out, wisps of steam following him into the bedroom, and made his way over to the bed with a happy smile. Gibbs sat on his side of the bed with a book in his lap, reading glasses on his nose, and looked up when Tony stepped out, a smile of his own forming on his lips when he took in Tony's contentment - and Tony's broad muscular and very naked chest. Tony scooted into bed happily, and Gibbs made quick work of his own trip to the bathroom, sliding in next to Tony only short minutes later. Picking up his book again, Gibbs continued reading. Tony yawned and rubbed his eyes, but kept glancing over at Gibbs every few seconds, until finally after a couple of minutes, he rolled closer to Gibbs and put his head on the older man's shoulder, peering up at the pages of the book.  
   
"What are you reading?"  
   
"This is called a book."  
   
"Ha ha."  
   
"It's a biography of Alexander the Great."  
   
"He's long dead. How great could he be?"  
   
The smirk was obvious in Tony's voice, and Gibbs reached up his opposite arm to deliver a soft smack to the back of Tony's head, careful to aim for the unhurt part, and making it more a gesture than an actual slap.   
   
"Hey! Guy with a concussion here!"  
   
"Sorry."  
   
Gibbs didn't sound at all contrite, but to make up for it, he started stroking through Tony's hair again. Gibbs liked feeling the soft strands slide through his fingers, and they were very soft again now that Tony had finally been allowed to wash them, and having discovered Tony's response to the simple gesture, Gibbs liked it even more. The man was like a big cat, pushing up into his hand whenever the motion halted for a second, and purring in contentment when it resumed. The angle was a bit awkward though, and so Gibbs pushed himself up a little further so Tony could lean against his shoulder and Gibbs could fold his arm behind Tony's head and shoulders and reach his hair easier. While he started stroking again, he began telling Tony interesting tidbits about Alexander that he knew would be to Tony's liking, after a while putting down his book and glasses and switching off the light, continuing to talk to Tony until the younger man fell asleep. Gibbs smiled to himself, and let himself drift off as well.  
   
*****  
   
The following morning Gibbs woke up with Tony draped half over him, Tony's face buried in the crook of Gibbs' neck and his arm slung over his chest, Tony's leg pressed between his own. A very soft snore tickled Gibbs' ear every other breath and Tony's erection was pressing against Gibbs' hip. Gibbs sighed softly to himself. It was a good thing he was a patient man, had had to learn to be, because this young man could tempt a saint. And Gibbs was no saint, so imagine how strong he had to be to resist. He snorted at himself. Right. But he held still for nearly half an hour, just enjoying the feel of Tony against him, until he felt the younger man start to wake and roll away. Only then did Gibbs get up and retreat to the bathroom, where he quietly took care of his own erection before returning to the bedroom. Tony was just blinking his eyes open, and smiled a sleepy smile while he whispered good morning, his voice rough with sleep. It sent shivers of desire down Gibbs’ spine. Smiling down at Tony and ruffling his hair, he said he’d go down to start breakfast, and for Tony to join him when he was ready.   
   
After breakfast and dressing, it was time to go to the office. Ducky wanted to check up on Tony, Gibbs wanted to check up on the cases, the director wanted to check up on Gibbs, and Gibbs and Tony both wanted to show the team how Tony was doing to avoid that they come by Gibbs' place again. Neither wanted that to ever happen unexpectedly again. The team was assembled in the bullpen awaiting their arrival, knowing when they'd be coming in, and they spent some time catching up. They were all very glad to see Tony was looking much better and was getting around easier, and they hugged and kissed him carefully, Gibbs holding Abby back deliberately, not wanting her enthusiasm to cause Tony pain. After the pleasantries, they filled Gibbs and Tony in on the cases, and Tony barely managed to hide a sombre look when he learned that the two guys who had run him over and discarded him were just barely twenty, children still really, and it saddened him that they would be capable of doing this. Gibbs watched him closely, and when he saw the gloom appear in Tony's eyes, put his hand between Tony's shoulder blades, reaching up behind his head where the others couldn't see to run his fingers through Tony's hair. Tony relaxed instantly, and gave Gibbs a small smile.  
   
After the update, Ducky took Tony downstairs to Autopsy for his check-up and Gibbs went upstairs to see Vance. The meeting with the director was brief, Gibbs deliberately keeping it short, because he wanted to hear from Ducky how Tony was doing, so as quickly as he could Gibbs ended the briefing and went to Autopsy. Ducky had just finished and Tony was fixing his clothes when Gibbs arrived.   
   
"Well? How's he doing, Duck?"  
   
"I'm right here, Gibbs!"  
   
"You try to lie to me about how you are."  
   
"So do you."  
   
"That's why we have Ducky."  
   
They smirked at each other, then turned to the ME who watched them with a small smile on his face.  
   
"Young Anthony is doing as well as may be expected. However, I am recommending two more weeks of medical leave before he can return to light desk duty."  
   
"What? Two weeks!!"   
   
Tony was dismayed. Two weeks of nothing to do? He would go out of his mind! Gibbs would be returning to the office now for sure, and that left Tony alone and bored and, well, away from Gibbs! Not good.  
Ducky held up a hand before Tony could protest any further.  
   
"Of course, given your condition, especially your shoulder and head, you will still need looking after. I therefore also recommend that Jethro continue the excellent care he has obviously been giving you these past few days. You have plenty of personal time awaiting you, Jethro. I will arrange it with the director and HR."  
   
Tony held his breath waiting for Gibbs' response. Gibbs smiled an odd smile at Ducky, then lightly patted the ME's shoulder and simply said: "Thanks, Duck."  
   
And just like that it was settled. They said goodbye to Abby and the team, then left for home again, picking up some more groceries on the way and stopping at Gibbs' diner for lunch. The whole way Tony was practically beaming. Two whole weeks with Gibbs! But during lunch he thought back to that odd little smile Gibbs had given Ducky, and he suddenly felt doubt creeping in. Gibbs noticed the change in mood immediately.  
   
"What's wrong?"  
   
"Nothing."  
   
"Then why did you go from eager little puppy to kicked cowering dog within the space of ten seconds?"  
   
Tony looked up at him and smiled in spite of himself.  
   
"Still with the dog metaphors? It's been a long while since you called me your loyal Saint Bernard."  
   
Gibbs eyes twinkled.  
   
"Actually, I've changed my mind recently. I've decided you're more like a cat."  
   
"What?? In what way?"  
   
"You purr when I pet your hair."  
   
Tony's face flushed in an instant and he dropped his eyes to the table. His tone was trying to decide between embarrassed and exasperated when he let out the soft hiss.  
   
"Gibbs!!"  
   
But Gibbs just chuckled for a moment, before returning to the original question.  
   
"So, what's wrong?"  
   
Tony sighed, cheeks still sporting a blush, but looked up at Gibbs when he answered quietly.  
   
"You sure you want me around for two weeks? I mean, Ducky can't force you, you know. Besides, I don't really need looking after anymore, so if you wanna go back to work, that's fine with me. I can probably go back to my apartment and manage just fine."  
   
"This again? Tony…" Gibbs waited until Tony's wandering eyes reached his again. "Since when do I let people force me into doing things? I told you, I don't mind having you around. In fact, I like having you around. And Ducky knows that, that's why he arranged it. The old man is trying to give a push in the right direction."  
   
That got Tony's attention. But instead of voicing the question, he asked it with his eyes. Gibbs sighed.  
   
"Like I said before, Duck's kept one of my secrets for a long time now, Tony."   
   
Then he reached over and entangled his fingers with Tony's, as they had done in the hospital, and looked him straight in the eyes. Tony's breath hitched and he stared back for a moment, but before he could say anything, Gibbs spoke again.  
   
"This is not something to discuss here."  
   
Reluctantly, Gibbs pulled back his fingers and left money on the table, then got up and walked out, knowing that Tony would be right on his six. The drive back over to the house was made in silence.  
   
*****  
   
Arriving back, Gibbs took his time putting away the groceries while Tony went to the bathroom and settled back on the couch. Gibbs joined him in the living room, handing him a beer, but then busied himself lighting a fire, as if he was trying to find ways to postpone the conversation both knew they were about to have. Running out of chores eventually, Gibbs sighed and sat down next to Tony. Trying to find that connection that would hopefully make this easier, Tony put down his beer and laid back on the couch, his head in Gibbs’ lap, and smiled when Gibbs seemed to automatically start running his fingers through Tony’s hair as soon as his head came within reach. Smiling down at Tony for a moment in acknowledgement of the action, Gibbs’ gaze then darkened a little and he sighed again and looked at the wall instead.  
   
“This isn’t easy for me.”  
   
“Me neither, you know that.”  
   
“Hush, let me speak.”  
   
There were long moments of silence after that before Gibbs started up again.  
   
“You remember a couple of months ago when we were out in that godforsaken tiny town and got stuck overnight in that dingy little motel?”  
   
Tony thought back for a moment, then his eyes widened as he remembered what had happened there. Forced to share a room and a bed with Gibbs, Tony had had a fantastic but embarrassing dream. He’d been exhausted and had fallen into a deep sleep immediately, then woken up in the middle of the night with his shorts sticky with his own come. He’d been dreaming about kissing Gibbs and having the older man’s hand wrapped around his dick, Gibbs’ arms encircling him from behind and Gibbs’ lips hot and languid on his neck, Gibbs bringing him off with slow, gentle strokes. As soon as he awoke and recalled the dream, he’d carefully turned around to find Gibbs lying on his back, an arm thrown over his face covering his eyes, breathing deeply. Grateful that the older man was still asleep, Tony had snuck into the bathroom and cleaned himself up as best he could, embarrassed by having come in his sleep, which hadn’t happened since his teens. Nevertheless, he had smiled at himself in the mirror at the memory of feeling Gibbs around him, and it had been the start of the spiral of thoughts that had led him here at last.  
   
“I took advantage of you, Tony. I’m very sorry about that. And about how I handled it after.”  
   
Eyes widening even further, he stared up at Gibbs.  
   
“That wasn’t a dream??”  
   
Gibbs lowered his eyes down to Tony’s face incredulously.  
   
“You thought it was a dream??”  
   
“Well, yeah! I never thought that could be real. It felt so good, but the thought that it would be you doing that with me was just impossible. I dreamed about it afterward though, many times.”  
   
“So that’s why you never…”  
   
“Well, I was hardly gonna tell my boss I had a sex dream about him!”  
   
Gibbs groaned.  
   
“Unbelievable…”  
   
Tony laughed.  
   
“Yes, it was. Unbelievably good!”  
   
“All these months I… I felt so guilty. Waiting for you to bring it up.”  
   
“If only I’d known!”  
   
Tony was chuckling, he was taking this much better than Gibbs had feared. Reaching up his hand to guide Gibbs to look down at him, Tony became serious.  
   
“What made you do it though?”  
   
Gibbs stared at him, trying to convey his honesty and regret at his actions.  
   
“I slipped up. I’d wanted you for so long and there you were, half naked and pressing against me, kissing me in your sleep. Then you rolled away, dragging my arm with you, keeping me spooned up against you, and I felt you were hard, I… I just broke.”  
   
“You wanted me?”  
   
“My secret Ducky’s been keeping.”  
   
“How did he know?”  
   
“That devious man sees too many things.”  
   
They sat in silence then, Gibbs continuing to run his fingers through Tony’s hair, Tony’s eyes closed in contentment. After a while, Gibbs thought the younger man had fallen asleep, but just as he was preparing to lean back and doze off himself for a while, Tony spoke.  
   
“Gibbs? Kiss me?”  
   
Looking down at Tony, Gibbs leaned in and softly pressed his lips to Tony’s for a few seconds. Grinning, Tony sat up and faced Gibbs, heads level with each other now.  
   
“You can do better than that!”  
   
With a smirk, Gibbs cupped Tony’s cheeks and leaned in for a proper kiss. Softly nibbling Tony’s lips, he coaxed them apart until he could slip his tongue inside, tasting and exploring Tony for long minutes before they finally broke apart.  
   
“Whoah!” Tony breathed. “See, I knew you must be good at this…”  
   
And then Tony leaned in to show the older man what Tony could do. It didn’t take long for Tony to elicit a moan of pleasure from Gibbs, and he was starting to get excited, but it was abruptly cut short when he automatically tried to bring up his hands and his injured shoulder protested at the movement.  
   
“Ow! Damn it!”  
   
“You okay?”  
   
“Damn shoulder!”  
   
Tony looked disappointed, Gibbs looked decidedly dazed. Tony winced, then smirked and tried to lean in again.  
   
“We’ll just have to be a bit more careful.”  
   
“No, we’ll just have to wait until you’ve healed.”  
   
“Gibbs!!”  
   
Tony’s exclamation was an exasperated whine, but Gibbs held firm.  
   
“I’m not taking the chance of hurting you further, Tony.”  
   
Pouting and puppy dog eyes at full force, Tony tried to sway Gibbs, but Gibbs just laughed.  
   
“Now you’re being a puppy again! You just can’t decide, can you? Which is it, dog or cat?”  
   
“Which do you like better?”  
   
“I love them both, Tony.”  
   
“Love?”  
   
“Love.”  
   
And Gibbs carefully wrapped his arms around Tony, holding him close, kissing his temple. A satisfied sigh escaped Tony’s lips and he leaned back against Gibbs, closing his eyes and drifting off.  
   
*****  
   
Over the next couple of days, they settled into a rhythm. After showering they had breakfast, spent a few hours in the basement, went shopping when needed, and in the afternoon settled on the couch together to watch a movie or two, more focused on each other than on the screen. Every chance he got, Gibbs caressed his fingers through Tony’s hair, and kisses were exchanged often. Evenings were spent on the couch too, Gibbs reading his book, Tony’s head in his lap and Gibbs’ hand in Tony’s hair, while the younger man watched a movie on his laptop. They went to bed early, settling closer together each night, until there was no space left between them. Careful of his injuries, which were thankfully improving every day, Tony wrapped himself around Gibbs and fell asleep contentedly, the older man following him shortly after.  
   
*****  
   
One morning, about a week into Tony’s enforced two weeks of medical leave, he woke up to Gibbs’ lips pressing against his. Smiling, he caressed his hand over the side of Gibbs’ face, then down his shoulder and back, pulling the older man closer against him. He was hard and excited, and didn’t want to hold back anymore. Gibbs seemed to feel the same, and slowly trailed kisses down Tony’s neck and chest, teasing Tony’s nipples with lips and tongue and teeth until Tony was groaning under him, and Gibbs stroked his hand down over Tony’s chest and abdomen, to his hips and thighs, slowly stroking the outside of one thigh before bringing his hand to the inside, sliding upwards. While kissing his way down Tony’s stomach, causing the muscles under his lips to twitch and moans to escape from Tony’s lips, Gibbs slid his hand up until he reached the shorts, then under the fabric up to Tony’s hardness. When Gibbs grasped him, Tony bucked up his hips and his breath hitched. Gibbs curled his fingers under the waistband of Tony’s shorts and pulled them down slowly, kissing the skin he exposed, all the way down Tony’s legs.  
   
Finally having Tony naked under him, Gibbs licked and kissed his way back up Tony’s legs until he reached his erection. Grasping it again and stroking up and down a few times, Gibbs then licked a broad stripe up the underside until he reached the tip. Tony moaned deeply, his eyes closed and head thrown back into the pillows. Then Gibbs engulfed him and sucked him down. Tony bucked and yelled in response to the action.  
   
“Jethro!”  
   
Smiling around the hard flesh in his mouth, Gibbs set to work. He used every trick he knew to drive Tony crazy, tightening his lips and hollowing his cheeks, alternating depth and suction, using his fingers to caress his lover’s balls and sliding down to play over his opening, taking him deep into his throat and humming around the head, then pulling Tony back from the brink at the last moment, keeping him teetering on the edge for a long time until Tony was begging for release.  
   
“Jethro, please, please… Please, oh fuck, please, Jethro…”  
   
With an evil little smirk that was lost on Tony, Gibbs quickly sucked two of his own fingers into his mouth and slicked them with saliva, before returned his mouth to Tony’s dick. Sliding and stroking and sucking, he brushed his fingers over Tony’s opening again, then pushed one inside, causing Tony to buck up desperately. Fucking Tony with his finger until he felt him loosen a little, Gibbs nibbled and licked Tony’s dick, stroking it with his other hand, then pushed two fingers inside of his lover. Tony reached down his good hand and entangled his fingers in Gibbs’ hair, tugging lightly which made Gibbs moan around him, and when Gibbs twisted his fingers and brushed Tony’s sweet spot, Tony saw white sparks flash behind his eyelids and became an incoherent mess.  
   
“Wha…? Jethro! Fuck! Please, please… Oh! My… Jethro!”  
   
Not holding back this time, Gibbs continued relentlessly, stroking Tony’s sweet spot and sucking him deep until at last, finally, Tony came down his throat. Keeping up his movements until Tony began to soften and calm down, Gibbs relished the taste of his lover, and diligently licked him clean. Removing his fingers caused a disappointed moan to fall from Tony’s lips, but this turned into contented sighs as soon as Gibbs began kissing his way back up Tony’s abs and chest to finally land on his lips again, kissing him deeply. Tony loved the taste of himself on Gibbs’ tongue and swiped around his mouth languidly, still buzzing from his climax, tightening his good arm around Gibbs to keep the older man on top of him a little longer when he felt him start to pull away. They lay there like that for long minutes, kissing and softly caressing, until Tony had at last recovered enough to open his eyes. The happy, sated sparkle Gibbs saw in those green orbs was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and he kissed Tony’s lips gently again before finally rolling off of him and curling up against his side. When Tony started reaching for his hardness, Gibbs stopped him, which got him a pout.  
   
“Later. This was for you.”  
   
Not completely happy with that, but exhausted from the overwhelming high Gibbs had just given him, Tony managed another pout, then a small chaste kiss to Gibbs’ lips and then promptly fell asleep again.  
   
   
That afternoon on the couch, Tony with his head in Gibbs’ lap again, the younger man suddenly turned around and started nuzzling Gibbs through his sweats. Surprised but instantly hardening, Gibbs moaned a little before he spoke.  
   
“What are you doing?”  
   
With a wicked grin up to his lover, Tony replied.  
   
“It’s later.”  
   
Letting Tony find a position that was comfortable for him with his injuries, Gibbs just leaned back and enjoyed the ride. Tony nuzzled and licked, getting Gibbs to lift his hips so Tony could pull the sweats and boxers down his legs, then gently grazed his teeth over the heated flesh of Gibbs erection, causing a pleasured shiver to run through the older man’s body. Sucking him into his mouth and throat, Tony hummed in delight at the taste and feel of his lover, and repaid him for every moan and entreaty Gibbs had wrung out of him that morning. When at last Gibbs reached his climax, Tony swallowed him down, licking his lips in elation at finally having the flavor of his lover on his lips and tongue, and delighting even more in the sight of Gibbs slumped back on the couch a boneless heap, eyes closed and sweat beading on his brow from the pleasure Tony had given him. Crawling onto Gibbs’ lap, Tony kissed and licked his lover’s neck and lips, bestowing deep kisses full of longing and love.  
   
When Gibbs had recovered a little, Tony looked down at him with twinkling eyes.  
   
“Isn’t it better when it starts while you’re awake?”  
   
“Hmmm? What?”  
   
“You seem to have a thing for me being asleep when you start something with me.”  
   
Gibbs blushed a little, then smirked an evil little smile.  
   
“That’s because you’re so cute when you’re asleep.”  
   
“What?! I’m not cute!”  
   
Gaze softening as he stared up at his lover, Gibbs brushed a hand through Tony’s hair again, the gesture having quickly become a favorite to them both.  
   
“Yes, you are. When you’re awake too.”  
   
Gibbs was rewarded with another smile and kiss.  
   
   
From that moment on, they could barely keep their hands and mouths off each other, finding pleasure in each other in every way they could think of, except the one that Tony really wanted to try with Gibbs. He longed to feel his lover inside of him, and be inside him in return, feel complete, but Gibbs simply refused to do that until Tony was healed to his satisfaction, no matter how many pouts and pleas and begging eyes Tony threw at him. As the days went by, Tony became desperate and couldn’t wait for the next appointment in the hospital for his check-up. When that day finally arrived, Tony thrummed with nervous energy while they were on their way to the hospital, almost praying that the doctor would clear him. At least then they’d have a few days left before their leave was over. Gibbs smiled at the nervous anticipation rolling off of Tony in waves, but kept his mouth shut. He was just as desperate as Tony to finally have all of his lover, but simply couldn’t bring himself to take the chance that he might inadvertently hurt Tony if they tried.  
   
The check-up was quick but thorough, and both were extremely relieved when the doctor announced that Tony’s shoulder was healing beautifully and there was no need for the sling anymore, and that the cut on his head had healed to his satisfaction, the scar already nearly invisible underneath Tony’s hair, though Gibbs could still feel it whenever he ran his fingers through Tony’s locks. His leg was healing well too, and even though the cast would have to stay on for another couple of weeks, it was just on his lower leg so didn’t inhibit Tony’s movements. All in all, Tony got a clean bill of health. They got out of there as quickly as they could.  
   
Back at home, they wasted no time in getting to the bedroom and were undressing each other on the way up, to tumble naked to the bed as soon as they reached it. Frantically stroking and licking and kissing, the preparation was thorough but fast, but then time stood still when Gibbs at last buried himself inside of Tony and both exhaled a sigh of relief. Eyes locked on each other, they made love slowly, capturing every emotion in their gazes and kisses, sighed moans and gentle caresses. They took each other to new heights and floated down together gently afterwards, spending long hours tangled together, breathing each other in, before either man even thought of moving. And then it was only to start over again.  
   
*****  
   
Of course the glorious idyll had to come to an end. The return to work and normal life looming over their heads only a day and a half away, Tony broached the subject while they were nestled together on the couch, recovering from bliss after another round of love-making.  
   
“What’s going to happen when we go back to work?”  
   
“Nothing changes there.”  
   
“Of course not. You know what I meant.”  
   
Kissing Tony’s sweat dampened and sex tousled hair, Gibbs sighed and answered softly.  
   
“I don’t want anything to change.”  
   
“You want me to go back to my own place?”  
   
Insecurity and disappointment clearly resonated in Tony’s voice. Gibbs chuckled. Even after all they had shared the past few weeks, both physically and emotionally, Tony was still uncertain. Time for Gibbs to make things clear to his lover once and for all, even if it meant he had to talk about his feelings.  
   
“No. I don’t want anything to change from how we are right now. I want to be able to hold you and make love to you every second we don’t spend at the office. I want to go to sleep with you in my arms every night and wake up with your lips pressed to mine every morning. I want to watch movies with you and stroke your hair to make you purr like a kitten…” – that earned him a halfhearted jab in his ribs in indignation – “…and have your company in the basement when I’m down there. I want to share your meals and your problems and your joys. I want to see you smile and laugh, and hold you and comfort you when you’re sad. I want you.”  
   
Tony remained silent, stroking his hand back and forth over Gibbs’ chest.  
   
“What do you want, Tony?”  
   
When Tony at last looked up at his lover, Tony’s eyes were suspiciously shiny, but his answer was steady and true.  
   
“I want that too.”  
   
*****  
   
In the weeks and months that followed, they settled in together completely. After their return to the office, Tony’s leg and other wounds healed quickly and soon he returned to active duty, being cleared by Ducky. Tony was a bit apprehensive coming face to face with the ME again, now knowing that the man knew, but Ducky simply smiled when Gibbs stood in the corner during Tony’s check-up, watching the proceedings and taking the opportunity to let his gaze travel over Tony’s body openly. Finding everything about Tony’s healing to his liking, Ducky signed him off for duty. The only words he spoke which may have been an acknowledgement of the change in the relationship between Gibbs and Tony were his parting words: “Congratulations, my boy.”  
   
The others noticed little things, like the way Gibbs’ hand lingered on the back of Tony’s head after a head slap, and the way Tony moved completely in sync with Gibbs when on his six, only a mere foot of distance between them. The way Gibbs brought Tony coffee when he picked some up for himself, and the way Tony casually brushed lint off the shoulder of Gibbs’ sports coat when they were standing in front of the plasma. The way Gibbs’ eyes sometimes focused completely on Tony and a soft smile appeared when Tony rambled on about something or other, and the way Tony’s eyes softened when Gibbs finally admonished him with a short “DiNozzo” which was not as sharp and annoyed as it once would have been.  
   
When summer was in full swing, Tony convinced Gibbs to host a 4th of July party at their house for the team, so invitations were issued and gladly accepted by everyone. On one of Gibbs’ visits to Autopsy, a couple of days prior to the party, Ducky held him back a moment after delivering his findings for the latest case.  
   
“Oh, Jethro?”  
   
“Yeah, Duck?”  
   
“I am tremendously looking forward to the party, and I know the others are too.”  
   
Gibbs smiled a little. Ducky continued.  
   
“You do realize that the others do not know about yourself and young Anthony, don’t you?”  
   
After a piercing gaze at the ME, Gibbs turned and walked out without a word.  
   
That evening over dinner, he brought it up with Tony.  
   
“So, Duck says the others don’t know about us.”  
   
Tony stared at him incredulously, fork laden with lasagna hanging in the air halfway to his mouth.  
   
“Really??”  
   
“Apparently.”  
   
“Huh.”  
   
Bringing his fork the rest of the way to his mouth and chewing the mouthful of lasagna, Tony started to grin an evil smile.  
   
“We’ll have to adjust their performance reviews then.”  
   
“What?”  
   
“Well, if they haven’t figured it out by now, they’re not very good investigators, are they? Not exactly as if we’ve been deliberately hiding it.”  
   
Gibbs grinned back at him.  
   
“You wanna tell them beforehand?”  
   
“Of course not, Jethro! I wanna see their faces as they finally figure it out.”  
   
And Gibbs could see the devilish glee in Tony’s eyes the following days leading up to the party as he studied his teammates, trying to figure out if they knew or not, and getting more and more convinced that they didn’t. Gibbs couldn’t help but chuckle quietly when Tony’s twinkling eyes locked with his.  
   
*****  
   
The day of the party, Gibbs and Tony spent all morning setting up, getting everything ready for the barbecue and even decorating the back garden where the festivities would be held for a celebratory touch. Everything ready, they still had time for a quick but passionate tumble in bed before showering and dressing. Grabbing a beer to start the festivities in anticipation of the team’s arrival, Gibbs settled on the couch and watched and listened to Tony playing his piano, the instrument having long since made its way over and taking pride of place in the living room, next to Tony’s big plasma TV now mounted on the wall, surrounded by shelves full of DVDs, the shelves made especially for that purpose by Gibbs with assistance from Tony. Gibbs loved listening to Tony play, and sometimes would spend an hour or two reading to the pleasant tones Tony coaxed out of the instrument, but more often than not simply watched Tony’s smooth movements while he played, as he did now.  
   
That was what the team walked in on when they arrived. Having carpooled as much as possible, they all came in together. As soon as they opened the door, knowing it would not be locked, they heard the soft melodies emanating from the piano and glanced at each other questioningly, not expecting this. They made their way to the living room quietly, curiously peering around the corner to take in the scene. Gibbs was leaning back on the couch in shorts and a t-shirt, bare feet up on the coffee table, his eyes intent on Tony who sat at a piano also in shorts and shirt, fingers moving nimbly over the keys, glancing sideways at Gibbs every now and then with a smile on his face. When Tony’s hands had stilled and the final notes died out, Gibbs got up and walked over to him, lifting Tony’s face up to press a soft kiss to his lips.  
   
“Beautiful, just like you.”  
   
The clatter of a bag – thankfully full of unbreakables – to the floor alerted the two to the presence of the others, both having been lost in the music as always, and they turned to find the team standing in the hall, eyes wide and jaws dropped to the floor. Ducky and Palmer, standing in the background, just looked smug and pleased. Glancing around, McGee, Ziva and Abby took in the changes in the living room and quickly realized what it meant. Looking back at Ducky, Abby saw his expression and narrowed her eyes. A gentle smack was delivered to the ME’s arm, the words coming out mildly accusingly.  
   
“You knew!”  
   
“So did Mr. Palmer! I did not tell him, he deduced it.”  
   
That last bit Ducky directed at Gibbs and Tony, who threw him reassuring smiles. Ziva and McGee glanced at each other, then shrugged. McGee spoke first.  
   
“Well, that explains a lot.”  
   
“It does. Where do you want this, Gibbs, Tony?”  
   
Holding up the bag of food she carried, Ziva raised a questioning eyebrow at the pair.  
   
*****  
   
The party was a success, of course. Over the course of the afternoon and evening the team pestered them with questions, eventually getting the story in bits and pieces, and finally fitting the things they had noticed over the months into the timeline. When the party was over and the team had gone home, Tony and Gibbs snuggled together in bed, Gibbs’ head resting in the crook of Tony’s neck, his arm tightly curled around Tony’s chest to hold him close.  
   
“That was fun, Jethro.”  
   
“The party, or their expressions when they found out?”  
   
“Both.”  
   
They chuckled together before sharing a soft kiss, both as an affirmation of their love, as in relief that their team had been so accepting. All these months they had thought the team had known and simply not minded, but despite the fun Tony had had trying to figure out whether they knew or not these past few days, worry had started to creep in ever since Ducky had alerted them to the truth. So the fact that only some good natured jokes and comments had been made and the team had easily given their approval of sorts, had been a quiet relief to them both.  
   
Gibbs brushed his hand through Tony’s hair gently, and smiled when his lover’s eyes slid closed and a soft purr of pleasure escaped Tony’s throat. That would never get old, and it never failed to arouse Gibbs. Feeling the familiar desire rise in himself, Gibbs kissed Tony’s lips again, this time deepening the kiss so his tongue could play with his lover’s. Tony’s hands found their way to Gibbs’ chest and side, and one brushed languished strokes over the older man’s skin from shoulder to thigh and back, the other settled over his lover’s heart. When Tony slipped his hand to Gibbs’ ass and pulled him closer to him, he felt Gibbs’ hardness slide against his own and the purr was lost for a moment in a soft moan. At last opening his eyes again, Tony pulled back from the kiss and whispered.  
   
“I want you, Jethro.”  
   
“You have me.”  
   
“I need you.”  
   
“Then take me.”  
   
Tony wasted no more time, heat rising between them immediately, and slipped his fingers between Gibbs’ cheeks to play with his opening. Lube was quickly applied and Tony slid two fingers inside at once, making Gibbs groan in pleasure. They both already knew how this would go without having to voice it, and after only a few more strokes of his fingers, Tony rolled Gibbs onto his back and covered him with his own body, settling his hips between his lover’s thighs and pushing in quick and fast. Gibbs was tight and hot around him, and groaned deeply in the back of his throat at the stretch and burn of being filled so completely at once without much preparation. They both loved it like this sometimes, hard and rough and seemingly selfish, but to them it signified a confirmation of their strength and equality. Tony hooked Gibbs’ knees over his shoulders and positioned himself, then gave Gibbs a look which was returned with a smile. They were ready.  
   
Tony started hard and fast, then quickly picked up the speed even more until he was pounding into Gibbs relentlessly, earning panting moans and half formed words of encouragement from Gibbs. He found Gibbs’ prostate and drilled it mercilessly, loving the feel of Gibbs thrashing under him, bucking his hips up to get more of Tony inside of him, Gibbs’ hands clenching in the sheets on either side of him, knuckles white with the force of his clasp. Tony watched Gibbs carefully, feeling himself approach the brink, and looked for the same signs in his lover. Completely in sync as always, Gibbs opened his eyes and looked up at Tony, nodding a tiny nod, and then Tony released Gibbs’ legs and pulled out. Both were panting hard and sweating, desire burning in their eyes. Tony sat back on his knees and Gibbs got up to face him, clasping him close and pulling them together, kissing Tony deeply and hungrily and without finesse, making Tony shudder under the onslaught. Having calmed a little, Gibbs pushed Tony forward onto his hands and knees, and positioned himself behind him. A quick application of lube and a cursory check with his fingers made Tony growl in a way that Gibbs knew meant to get on with it. Gibbs pushed inside of Tony at once, his hands tight and controlling on his lover’s hips, gripping hard enough to leave finger shaped bruises. The pace was fast and almost brutal, and Tony hung his head between his arms as he rocked back and forth under the force of Gibbs’ thrusts, his grunts turning into moans and then yelps when Gibbs hit his sweet spot just right. The release that had been staved off a little after he had pulled out of Gibbs welled up inside of him fiercely again, and he knew it was the same for his lover when Gibbs at last pulled Tony up, Tony’s back pressed against Gibbs’ chest, and Gibbs closed one hand around Tony’s dick and started stroking hard and fast, holding him close against him with his other arm. Tony lasted only a few more moments after that and came hard with a shudder and a deep growl as Gibbs bit down on the sensitive spot in the crook of Tony’s neck. Gibbs followed him over the edge almost immediately before both collapsed into a sated heap.  
   
It took long minutes for them to recover enough to move, and when they did, they went to the bathroom and stepped into the shower together. They slowly soaped each other up, their touches soft and almost delicate, as if to counteract the roughness of their earlier coupling. Leaning into each other, they exchanged slow, deep kisses, and stayed under the spray until the hot water started to run out. Rosy from the afterglow and the long shower, they settled in bed again, Gibbs spooning Tony and holding him close. After pressing a kiss to Tony’s neck, Gibbs closed his eyes and sighed deeply in contentment.  
   
“Great day, Tony.”  
   
“Not great, Jethro. Perfect.”  
 

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there it is: 50 stories written and posted in three months (plus one day)! I’d like to thank everyone who has been reading and enjoying my stories so far, and especially those of you who took the time to let me know by leaving lovely, funny, delightful and encouraging comments and kudos! :) 
> 
> Also, thank you to all you wonderful writers out there who wrote Tibbs well before I ever started and whose stories I so enjoyed that they inspired me to try my hand at writing them as well - getting me hooked completely! ;)
> 
> Thank you all so very, very much! 
> 
> –- Love, Blackghost7


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